Reason #5387 to love Rome: Il Mercato Centrale

This was a great addition to Rome’s Termini train station, in the center of Rome. Following a similar outlet in Florence, Rome’s Mercato centrale opened less than two years ago, and it is open daily from 8:00 am to midnight. It opened in the spectacular Cappa Mazzoniana within the Termini complex – and impressive space…

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More books “in the cloud” – Rome

I’ve been seeing ads for this interesting book fair of small and mid-sized publishers, billed as Più libri nella nuvola (More books in the cloud). This is a play on words for the new modern Convention center designed by architect Alexandre Fuksas in the EUR section of Rome. The structure is called La nuvola (The Cloud). The…

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Outdoor cinema at Piazza Vittorio – Rome

After two years of its absence and semi-absence, I’m so pleased that Notti di cinema a Piazza Vittorio has returned once again. The two screens, often showing four films outdoor on summer evenings is one of those great Roman traditions for Roman summer. The outdoor films run from 4 July – 10 September. I’ve been…

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All roads lead to Rome – for literature!

If you find yourself in Rome in the next couple of weeks, you may want to take part in the Eternal City’s literature festival – the Festival delle letterature. This year is the Festival’s 16th edition, running from 20 June through 21 July. It’s an interesting mix of Italian and foreign authors, and most events…

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Reason #5385 to love Rome: The Turtle Fountain

Rome’s Fontana delle tartarughe – the Turtle Fountain – is a beloved landmark in central Rome. Located on Piazza Mattei, in the neighborhood known as the Ghetto (for those of you wondering, this is where the name came from), it was built 1580-1588, during the Renaissance, by the architect/sculptor team of Giacomo della Porta and Taddeo…

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Sprinting around the aqueducts of Rome’s Tor Fiscale Park

It’s great raising your kids in another culture and enjoying the differences in their upbringing. I reflect on this a lot as I take my younger son, a track and field and cross-country athlete, to his competitions. For his weekly workouts, he trains, arguably (for others, clearly not for me), at the most beautiful stadium…

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Reason #5383 to love Rome: San Teodoro neighborhood

San Teodoro an interesting, and very old, neighborhood of Rome, tucked away between the Circo Massimo, Campidoglio and the Ghetto. It’s said to be the area where Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were said to be suckled by the she-wolf. Today, it’s a quiet neighborhood: only a few cross roads and a few sites…

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A round-up of European Christmas markets to visit

This year, I couldn’t manage to escape to one of the Christmas markets I love in Europe, so instead on this post I’ll pine away thinking about great Christmas markets of the past take a look at some of the Christmas markets I’ve posted about in European cities. Should you find yourself in any of…

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